Hot-air furnace



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

W. FRIDRI-CIL- HOT AIR'IIURNAUE- (No Mbdel. l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

v G. W. FRIDRIOH. 4

HOT AIR FURNAGE.

No. 519,304. Patented May 1, 1894 in. ni

' ATENT Futon.

GEORGE W. FRIDRICH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

HOT-AIR FURNACE.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,304, dated May'I,1894.

Application filed July 1'7, 18%.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. FRIDRICH, of St. Louis, State ofMissouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hot- All"Furnaces, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart hereof.

My invention relates to an improved warmair furnace, and consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of.

parts hereinafter specified and designated in the claim. i The object ofmy invention is to provide an unproved furnace of this class which shallhave increased area of heating-surface exposed to the fire and to theair to be warmed, brlngmg about a corresponding economy in theconsumption of fuel without injuriously interfering with the draft ofthe furnace, and which shall have an improved automaticregulatlngapparatus for retaining at all times a normal height of water in the airmolstening device; and which shallfurther have perfected means fordistributing the vapor or steam in the warm-air chamber of the furnace.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional side-elevation of a furnaceembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view, taken on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional s1de-elevation of an annularradiating-shell with parts broken away to exhibit its internalconstruction, and detached from the surrounding parts.

1 indicates the usual foundation of brickwork or stone, upon which thefurnace is supported for use, 2 the outer shell surrounding theavailable heating-surface of the furnace and forming the usual warm-airchamber, to the upper portion of which pipes 3 are con? nected forconveying the warmed and moistened air to the various rooms of abuilding, while 4. indicates a non-conducting covering located on thetop of the said outer shell, to prevent useless radiation of heat fromsaid top into the basement or other location in which the furnace isplaced. This covering usually consists of common earth, clay or otherwell known material. Located within the outer-shell 2is the fire-pot 5having aliningof fire-brick or fire-clay 6, while above Serial No.480,716. (No model.)

said fire-pot is the combustion-chamber 7 provided with openings 8adjacent its upper end for passage of the products of combustion intothe parts presently described.

The furnaceis provided with any suitable form of grate, such as thathere shown and indicated by the numeral 9. This grate is provided with ashaking or dumping bar 10 to which is connected a hand-lever 11 locatedexterior of the furnace ata point convenient to the operator, so thatthe bars composing said grate may be rocked or revolved to dump or shakedown the ashes or clinkers into the ash-pit 12 beneath.

13 indicates a fuel-passage formed in the walls of the furnace above thegrate and extending from the fire-pot outward through the outer shelland fitted with a fire-door 14. at its outer end, for the usual purpose.Located in vertical alignment with the said fuel-passage, but directlybeneathsame is another passage 15 fitted with a door16 at its outer endand communicaling at its inner end with the interior of the ash-pit, forthe obvious purpose of removing ash and clinkers from said pit, and forthe purpose of admitting and regulating the admittance of air to thefire belowthe said grate. The walls of the combustionchamber 7 areimperforate except at 8, said chamber being fitted with an arched top17, so that it is not in communication with the warm-air chamber at anypoint. There is a space between the top 17 of said combustion chamberand the top of the on ter-shel1.

18 indicates an annular radiating-chamber, having walls composed ofsteel or other metallic-plates, having its upper end closed and locatedabout in horizontal alignment with the top 17 of the combustion-chamber,having its lower end closed and located about in horizontal alignmentwith the bottom of the fire-pot, and all located in the warm-air chambersurrounding the fire-potandcombustionchamber except at a point in front,leaving a space 19 above the passage 13 to the firedoor and a space 20beneath the passage 15 to the ash-pit, and leaving a space Zlbetweensaid combustion-chamber and the inner wall of said annularradiating-chamber.

A smoke-pipe, or smoke-pipe connection 22 passes through the outer shell2 and communicates with the interior of said annular radiating-chamberat a point adjacent the upper end thereof and at a point diametricallyopposite the space 19, which is in front of the furnace, so that saidsmoke-pipe connection is located in the rearthereof. Shorthorizontal-pipes 23 connect the interior of said annularradiating-chamber at points adjacent its upper end and adjacent thefront space 19, With the interiorof the combustion-chamber at pointsadjacent the upper end thereof. By thus extending the annularradiatingchamber so low down in the furnace and so near to the topthereof I greatly augment the area of heating-surface thereof over theamount of heating-surface possessed by other annular-radiators of thisclass, which are not so extended.

A series of'parallel partitions 24 are arranged radially within theannular radiatingchamber 18 with their inner edges securedin contactwith the inner wall of said chamber and with their outer edges securedthroughout their length in contact with the outer wall of such. chamber,said partitions being located one upon each side of the opening of thesmoke-pipe connection 22 at the rear of said chamber and closelyadjacent said opening so as to form a pair of partitions in suchlocation, and the upper ends of such pair being in contact with theupper end-wall of said annular-chamber and the lower ends of said pairbeing separated a distance from the lower end of such chamber so as toform a smoke-passage beneath such ends and between said paircommunicating at its upper end with the interior of the smoke-outlet andat its lower end with the spaces on each side of said pair. A partition24 is located adjacent the front of said annularchamber a distance inthe rear of the opening of the short horizontal-pipe 23 which is at oneside of the front opening 19, with its upper end separated a distancefrom the top of said chamber and with its lower end also separated adistance from the bottom of said chamber, and another one of saidpartitions is similarly located on the opposite side of said frontopening, the remaining partitions being located intermediate of the rearandfront pairs of partitions just described a distance apart and formingvertical smoke passages between each and horizontal-passages at top andbottom edges of each partition thus intermediately located and spacedapart. The upper ends of the partitions 24: which are intermediate ofthe front and rear pairs of such partitions, are arranged 7 to form apassage above them which gradually those at the front being separatedthe greatest distance and those intermediate of front and rear beingseparated a less distance decreasing toward the rear, or from front torear. (See Fig. 3.)

I will now proceed to describe the construction of my improved automaticregulatingapparatus for retaining a normal height of water in theair-moistening device.

25 indicates a small boiler, which is preferably rectangular in contour,having closed bottom and sides, and a portion of its top open and aportion closed. The inner side of the boiler is arranged to be contacteddirectly by the flame in the combustion-chamber, the same being locatedin an opening 26 cut in the adjacent wall of said chamber, so that saidboiler is located directly above the fuel-passage 13 and preferably hasits adjacent side-walls in vertical alignment with the side-walls ofsaid passage, and said boiler extends from said combustion-chamberoutward to or closely adjacent the outer-shell of the furnace. Directlyabove the plane of the upper side of the boiler a dooropening 27 isformed in the outer-shell of the furnace, and is closed by a suitabledoor or slide 28, by means of which access may be had to the mechanismof the boiler in adjusting, repairing, the. Fixed in the boiler is atransversepartition 29 which extends therein with its lower edgeseparated a distance from the bottom of the said boiler so as to form asteamchamber 30 next adjacent the inner end of the boiler, the lowerportion of which is in communication with the larger chamber of theboiler by way of the passage formed beneath the lower edge of saidtransverse-partition, and the top of which is closed by a head or cap 31placed thereon. A normal Water line or leveris maintained in the largerchamber of the boiler by means of a common float 32 mounted therein upona float-lever 33 pivoted at 34 upon a transverse horizontal rod orbracket 35 mounted in said chamber, in combination with otherconnections now to be described.

36 indicates a water supply-pipe, the outer end of which is to beproperly connected to the waterworks-piping of the building, and whichpipe is passed through an opening formed in the outer shell of thefurnace and extends to a point beneath the bottom of said larger chamberof said boiler above the top of the fuel-passage 13, and is thereatturned upward and placed in communication with an opening 37 in thebottom of said chamber, and this opening is controlled by a valve 38mounted upon a valve-rod 39 having its upper end connected to thefloat-lever 33 on the side of the pivotal-point 34:- of said lever whichis opposite the side on which said float is located, so that when saidfloat rises by rise of water in said chamber said valve rod and valvewill be moved downward toward the opening in the bottom of said chamberand said valve will thereby more or less close said opening. This floatis preferably adjustable upon said float-lever sothat itmay be movednearer to or farther from the pivotal-point 30 of the boiler, the lowerend of said pipe being connected with the head or cap 31 of said chamberso that its interior communicates with the interior of such chamber atthe upper end thereof, and said pipe extends vertically to a point inthe plane of said steam discharge and then horizontally to suchdischarge.

43indicates a common valve applied to the steam-pipe 42 and havinga'handle 44 mounted upon the outer end of a valve-rod 45, by means ofwhich the passage of steam through said pipe may be controlled andregulated. The said rod 45 extends horizontally outward from said valvethrough an opening in the outer shell 2 directly above the door or slide28, and the handle 44 is located thereon at such point. a

The operation is as follows: A fire being started in the fire-pot, theproducts of combustion rise in said fire-pot and combustionchamber andpass to the annular radiatingchamber 18 by way of the openings 8 andhorizontal-pipes 23, and upon entering said chamber they divide intocurrents which pass in various directions, as indicated by the arrows inFig. 3, a portion of such currents passing directly rearward through thetapered horizontal passages, formed as previously de-,

scribed above the upper ends of the partition 24, while a portion ofsuch currents pass downward simultaneously in the passages formedbetween said partitions, and thence into the horizontal passages formedat the lower ends of said partitions, and finally they enter the lowerend of the passage formed in the rear of said radiating-chamber, andpass upward therein and make their exit by way of the smoke-pipeconnection 22 at the upper end of such passage. If so desired, a commondamper may be applied to the smoke-pipe connection. Fresh air enters thewarm air chamber at a point adjacent the lower end thereof,

by way of the usual fresh-air duct or passage 46, and by contact withthe heating surface of the adjacent parts, rises between the outer shelland the annular radiating-chamber and in the space between said chamberand the combustion-chamber and fire-pot, and enters the'warm air pipes 3and is by them conducted to the various rooms of the building.Meanwhile, the boiler 25 has been supplied with water by the supply-pipe36 to such a height that the float 32 has been raised thereby, and theheight of water in the float-chamber of said boiler is retained atnormalelevation therein, and also in the steam-chamber 30, if the valve43 be fully opened, the Water in both chambers of the boiler seeking acommon level and retaining the same under the above mentionedconditions, and steam being generated in said steam-chamber, and vaporbeing thrown off bythe water in said float-chamber, steam passes by wayof the pipe 42 to the steam-discharge ll and is discharged in thewarm-air chamber, and diffuses itself or commingles with the warmed airtherein, and the vapor just mentioned commingles with the warmed air,and said vapor and said steam unite to properly moisten said air to themaximum degree'of humidity. If less humidity of the air is desired, adischarge of steam may be limited by closing the valve 43 by means of'its handle 44. It said valve be entirely closed,or nearly closed thesteam accumulates under pressure in said steam-chamber, and forces thewater therein downward a corresponding distance, thereby drawing theWater from the exposed heating surface of said boiler, and therebydiminishing the generation of steam to a corresponding degree, thehigher the water level in said steam-chamber the greater the quantity ofsteam generated by such surface, and vice versa, so that if said valveis entirely closed, little or no steam will be generated, and viceversa.

I do not herein claim the air moistening apparatus whichI have shown anddescribed, as I have made it the subject matter of a divisionalapplication, filed December 11, 1893, Serial No. 493,439.

What I claim is The improved warm air furnace, having an outer shell anda combustion chamber, an annular radiating-chamber 18, having its upperand lower ends closed, and located in the warm-air-chamber surroundingsaid combustion-chamber, a smoke-pipe connection 22 passing through theouter shell and communicating with the interior of saidradiatingchamber, short horizontal pipes 23 connecting the interior ofsaid radiating-chamber at points adjacent its upper end, and remote fromsaid smoke-pipe connection, with the interior ofthe combustion chamber,a series of parallel vertical partitions 24 arranged radially withinsaid radiating-chamber with their inner edges secured to the inner wallof said chamber, and with their outer edges secured to the outer wallthereof throughout their lengths, said partitions being located one uponeach side of. the smoke-pipe opening and closely adjacent the same so asto form a pair of partitions in such location, and like ends of suchpairbeing in contact with one end wall of said annular chamber, and theopposite ends of said pair being separated a distance from the oppositeend of such chamber and forming a smoke-passage thereat and between saidpair communicating with the smoke outlet and with spaces on each side ofsaid pair, a partition 24 located in the annular chamber a distance inthe rear of the opening of one short horizontal'pipe 23, and having itsupper end separated a distance from the top of said chamber and itslower end separated a distance from the bottom thereof, and another ofsaid partitions similarly located adjacent another short horizontal pipe23, the remaining partitions of the [0 series being located intermediatethe partitions just mentioned a distance apart and forming verticalsmoke passages between each and horizontal passages at top and bottomends of each partition thus intermedi- I 5 ately located and spacedapart, the upper ends of the partitions 24, which are intermediate ofthe front and rear partitions being arranged to form a passage above,which gradually tapers or widens vertically from rear to front, andwhich connects with the 20 upper ends of all the vertical passagesbetween said partitions except the one at the rear, and a suitablefire-door and operative connections, substantially as herein specified.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in 25 presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE WV. FRIDRIOI-I. WVitnesses:

EDWARD EVERETT LONGAN, bro. 0. HIGDON.

